High-speed traverse mechanism for winding machines



Nov. 6,1923. v 1,472,847

G. J. MCGANN HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES OriginalFiled Jan. 12, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g Even/i07 e07 JMc6ann 5y \Wi Nov.6, 1923. 1,472,847

G. J. MCGANN HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES OriginalFiled Jan. 12, 1920 3SheecS-Sheet 2 I \M' ate-ya;

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G. J. MCGANN HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES 3Sheets-Sheet 5 QAN- nven I m ann/ :7 I BR .IIII

Patented Nov. W23.

HIGH-SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES.

Application filed January 12, 1920, Serial No. 350,895. Renewed June 10, 1921. Serial No. 476,606.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MOGANN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in High- S eedTraverse ,Mechanism' for Winding h achines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to high-speed travers'e mechanism uitable forwinding and other textile-machines and other uses.

It has heretofore been proposed for use in textile machines in which ayarn or thread is wound on a carrier (which may be cylindrical orconical, and a mere tube, a free ended bobbin, a skewer, or a spoolhaving heads) accurately to relate the traverses of a winding guidedistributing the thread or yarn spirally on the winding mass to therotary speed of the surface of the winding thread-mass. In order to dothis, it is necessary to reciprocate the traverse-guide accurately withrespect to the rate of rotation of the surface upon which the thread oryarn is being wound. When the mechanism is intended to operate at highspeeds, the usual reliance upon cam-and-lever mechanism and other likedevices of the prior art is frequently not successful. For one reason,all such mechanisms, so far as I am aware, introduce a variable rate oftraverse as between the middle and the ends of the stroke of thetraverse-guide, preventin a sharp reversal at the end of the stroke. hemechanism in common use, for another reason, is not only space-consumingand dis: persed, rather than compact, but often and usually is such asto rotate eccentrically disposed masses or reciprocate for the traversea considerable mass of metal, the inertia of which at high speedsprevents sudden reversal at the end of the traverse, and so eitheroccasions waste of'power or prevents operation at speeds otherwise atainable, or results in broken parts or in uncertain motions. or in both.

Objects of the present invention are to provide simple and durablemechanism for positively reciprocating a guide for such uses which shallbe characterized by accuracy of motion, by compactness keeping the,mechanism nearly within the dimensions of the reciprocal stroke, bysimplicity of mechanism, and by relatively small mass of the operatingparts calledupon to participate stantially without delay or dwell, sothat at high speeds quiet running is secured and very little power isabsorbed in overcoming the inertia of the apparatus at the ends of thetraverses, and the ends of the turns are sharp, regular and evenlyspaced in planes perpendicular to the axis of windin In exemplificationof the genus 0 devices I have herein illustrated and will now describeparticular preferred species. In the accompanying drawings,- Figure 1 isa side elevation of so much as isnecessary to explain the invention of aw nding machine embodying the improved traverse motion;

Figure 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 1; I

Figure 3 is a section on the Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a view in plan of a giiide p;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the guide stop;

Figure 6 is a detail of the driving stud shiftlng means;

Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification;and 1 Figures 8 and 9 are respectively detail elevations illustratingfurther modification of the devices shown in Fig. 7

Referring now to the drawings, the machine may comprise any kind ofdriving means; as shown, a tractor roll 1 is employed to drive thewinding thread mass 2 held for rotation by a carrier of any form on awinding spindle 3 adapted to rise with respect to the surface of thetractor roll 1 as the wound mass grows in size. The supply bobbin 5,representative of any kind of thread supply, is suitably held to unwind,and the thread 6 is suitably guided at 7 and 8. The guide 8 may be apolished horizontal rod from which the yarn or thread 6 passes to thetraverse guide 10. Any usual form of traverse guide *10 having anysuitable kind of notch 11 for the thread may be employed; preferably thestructure 10 is a light piece of sheet metal attached by screws 12 to atraverse carriage 13 reciprocated on parallel guides 14. guides 14 maybe of any suitable form; preferably the guides 14 are parallel roundline 3-3 o f Carriage 13 and theill) steel rods firmly seated in endframes 15, 16, respectively attached to or formin a part of the windingmachine; and pre erably the carriage 13 is an aluminum casting or steelor bronze 'punchin or machined part having a tubular guide 17 for one ofthe rods 14, and preferably separated guides 18, 18, for the other rod14 but any other design of the carriage 13 enabling strength and easymotion on the guides 14 without involving considerable'mass may beemployed.

Th'e carriage is provided with driving means constituting a connectionby which it is reciprocated. Integral with, soldered to, or brazed inthe carriage 1 3 midway between the guides 14, a tubular boss 20, forinstance, is provided; a preferred construction being that best shownin1 and 3, in which the tube 20 having a flange 21 is shrunk or welded ina central opening of the carriage so as to form virtually an integralpart thereof. The tubular boss 20 is provided with an accurate bore 22and is made with an axial slot 24.

The bore 22 carries an axially movable driving stud 25 preferably havinga central portion fitting the bore 22 anzl. reduced end portions 26riveted over anti-friction rolls 27, which are free to turn with respectto the .stud 25 and reduced portions 26. The rolls 27 do not exceed thestud 25 in diameter, so that rolls 27 may alternately be housed withinthe bore 22 when the stud 25 is moved endwise in bore 22.

Entering the slot 24 and a transverse bore made at an inclination in thepin 25, a preferably hardened 1guide pin 30 is arranged to projectbeyond t e tubular boss 20 and beneath the carriage 13 to engage oneither side of a fiat guide-stop 31, Figs. 1, 4 and; 5, which guide-stoppreferably is of the rhomboidal form in cross-section shown, and isprovided near each end of its left-hand edge as viewed in Fig. 1, withan inclined gateway 32. When the pin 30 is on one side of the guide-stop31, the driving stud 25, 27, is pro- ]ected on that side from itstubular boss. The tubular boss 20 is sufiiciently long to pass freelybetween the nearest parts of two constantly actuated driving membersadapted to drive the stud 25 and hence the car= riage 13 alternately inopposite directions at preferably constant rates, as determined by theposition .of the stud 25, 27, in respect to the carriage 13.

Preferred driving members comprise like quick-pitched screws or spiralcams 35, 36,

on parallel shafts 37, 33, respectively havbearings in the end frames15, 16, and astral on the plane swept the center line i the driving studThe shafts 37, 33, connected together and driven in oppoe d ections bylike gears 33, 39, and'one or in is to driven lay avaaav any suitabledriving train from the tractor roll 1. Preferably as shown a pinion 40on the tractor roll directly engages one of the gears 39.

In the preferred form shown, the respective cams or screws 35, 36, arealike, having grooves 42, 44, respectively of rectangular cross sectionadapted to present everywhere an accurate radial driving surfaceengaging the roll 27 throughout its length, and of such width as todirect the roll 27 positively, the groove being wide enough only toprevent binding of the roll running in it.

The stud 25 when the guide pin 30 is on the upper side of the guide-stop31, projects upwardly, from the carriage 13 into engagement with thespiral groove 42 of the rotating screw 35, and is thus driven toward theleft of Fig. 2. As the carriage 13 ap-v silient, having a tail 5Oprojecting over the outer surface of the cylindrical screw 35 at aninclination the same as but opposite to the pitch of the spiral groove42.

As the anti-friction roll 27 reaches the face 45 of the block 48 thestuil- 25 is driven through the tubular boss 20 of the carriage 13,until the other roll 27 is in engagement with the groove 44 of the othertraverse screw 36. The tail 50 of the sheet metal attachment 49 isuseful at this time to prevent rebound at high speeds.

Movement of the pin 25 cannot take place, however unless permittedbyz'the guide stop 31, which is recessed at 32 to provide a gateway forthis purpose, and it will be understood without further explanation thatthe tail 50 maintains the pin 25 and the guide pin 30 in its newposition until after the return traverse has begun and therefore untilafter the pin 30 is locked on the under side.

of the guide 31 by passage to the right under the unrecessed part of theguide 31. Engagement of the driving connection 25, 27, with one or theother of its driving means is always positive in both directions, sothat voverthrow of the carriage 13 at the end or its stroke isimpossible. The efiect of this arrangement is to lay the cusp or turn atthe end of one layer of the winding sharply and accurately at the placeintended, both in the direction of the length of the package and angularer rotary sense.

When the carriage has driven to the extreme of desired right-hand.stroke,

another cam block 48, in all respects similar to that above describedand fastened in the spiral groove 43 of the screw 36, returns the stud25, 27,. to position for the appropriate roll 27 again to engage thespiral groove 42 of screw 35, .the pin 30 passin through the gateway 32to the upper side oi the guide 31, and being held in place againstrebound by the spring until the pin 30 passes beyond the gateway 32. Theguide stop 31 may be provided with gateways for as many difierentlengths of traverse .as desired, the pin 30 being unable to pass throughany gateway unless positively moved.

The detail of the devices for transfe .ring the driving stud 25, 27,from engagement with one screw to the other may be varied. For instance,as shown in Fig. 7, the respective traverse cams or screws may beprovided at the proper'places for the ends of a fixed traverse withshort sloped sections of oppositely-turning spiral grooves as at and 56,the deepest'parts of these auxiliary grooves at their juncture with themain grooves being about half as deep as the main grooves, theseauxiliary grooves lying in the opposite direction but at the same angle,with respect to the axis, as the main groove. Cooperating with theauxiliary grooves, cams 57, 58, may be fastened in the grooves, asdescribed in connection with the cams 45 and serving to partially throwthe stud 25, 27, out of the groove driving it and into engagement withthe other rotating screw. The effect ofthe cams 57, 58, as before, willbe to engage the driving stud on the carriage with the oppositelyrotating traverse screw, but in this case the initiation of the drivingof the carriage is effected by holding the stud 25 in a middle position,the fully projected position of the stud being caused by the cam actionof the bottoms of the auxiliary grooves 55 and 56. As shown in Figs. 8and 9, similar reversely inclined grooves and 61 may be provided at theends of the rolls 35, 36, toward which the stud 25 is moved at the endof the traverse. These short grooves 60 and 61 are respectively oppositethe cams 57, 58, and serve to receive the end of the stud 25 when inmid-position and immediately prior to reversal of the stroke of carriage13 by cooperation with respective ends of the stud 25 of groove 55 andgroove 42, as will immediately occur. The gateways 32 in guide stop- 31are wide enough to permit a relatively slow shift of stud 25, andconsiderable adjustment of the length of traverse, but it is recommendedto provide replaceable stops 31 for widely different lengths oftraverse.

It will be observed that the mam of the reciprocating parts is kept at aminimum by my device; that the length of the traverse is easily anddelicately adjustable, and that the ratio between the traverse and thewinding-speed may readily be set at any desired figure without having tochange the traverse screws or cams by providing suitable gearing fordriving the gears 39.

In any of the forms of the device the means provided for initiating areturn of the carriage, results in winding each reversed spiral layer ofthe wound mass everywhere except at the ends, in an accuratelycontrolled spiral path represented by the spiral grooves in therespective rolls 35, 36. Between-their ends these spirals or layers arelaid by a guide moving at uniform speed. At the ends of the spirals thereversals are sharp and accurately placed,v both in the sense ofoccurring in the same plane perpendicular to the axis of the windingmass and at the desired angle in the rotation ofthe winding mass. Theresult of these functions is a wound mass having regular and even ends,the runs of the yarn coming up to. the end planes and reversing into thebody of the wound mass sharply, and. therefore exposing no suchirregular and loose loop of yarn as'has' heretofore characterized theproduct of the usual winding machine of this type. Since the reversalsof the yarn are taken care of in this manner, successive spirals on thesurface together making up a layer are laid in a superior propinquity toeach other, the successive spires forming a layer being in contact, orat a desired separation if the package is intended to be open, with amaximum. of regularit and a min imum of deviation from regu arity.

I claim:

1. A high-speed traverse motion comprising a pair of like screws gearedto ether for rotation in unison in opposite directions,- means forrotating the screws, a reciproca't 105 ing carriage adapted to travel ina path parallel with the axes of the screws, a driving connectionadapted for engagement with thethreads of either screw carried by thecarriage, positive means for shifting the driv- 1 ing connection at theend of each stroke of the traverse of the carriage, and means forretaining the driving connection in engagement with the screw driving itadapted to release the connection at the end of a stroke of thecarriage.

2. High-speed traverse mechanism having therein a carriage to bereciprocated, guides therefor, rotary driving members running inopposite directions on each side of thepath of reciprocation of thecarriage, a driving connection on the carriage ada ted to be engagedwith one or the other 0 said driving members, a guide stop mounted nearthe path of the carriage, means on said driving 2 connection adapted tobe restrained by saidguide stop from motion permitting the drivngconnection to be shifted from one operating member to the other, exceptwhen the carriage is at the end of its path of 0 travel, and positivecam means "for shifting such drive connection.

' 3. A traverse mechanism having a travversc guide and a reciprocstingcarriagetherefor, in combination with screws qnounted for rotation onaxes parallel with the path of said carriage, and s driving studmountedon the carriage for motion into engagement with the thread of oneor another of said screws, com means associated with each of said screwsforshifting said stud, and means with respect to which the carriage ismovable for locking the stud in engagement severally "with therespective screws.

i. traversemechanism having a traverse guide and a reciprocatingcarriage therefor, in combination with screws mounted for rotation onaxes parallel with the path of said carriage, and a driving stud mountedon the carriage for motion into engagement with the thread of one oranother of said screws, and means comprising a cam adapted to befastened to each of said screwsfor engaging and shifting said drivingstud into engagement with another of said screws, and a relatively fixedguide stop "for holding the stud in position during ensuing motion ofthe carriage, said stop having transverse guiding grooves for permittingthe passage of said stud from one side of the stop to the other.

5. In e traverse mechanism having therein a reciprcceted member and acarriage therefor, a driving connection for the carriage,carriage-actuating spiral cams rotating near the path of the carriageand having thereon segmental paths of opposite spire-ls, whereby thedriving connection when in an intermediate position may engage with andbe actuated in the same direction by each of ssid rotating cams, andsubsequently engage one only of said cams without change of thedirection of motion of the carriage.

6. A traverse mechanism having a traverse guide and s reciprocatingcarriage therefor in combination with screws mount ed for rotation onones parallel with the path of said carriage, a driving stud mount ed onthe carriage for motion into engagement with the thread of one oranother of said screws, ssid stud being engagement with one of saidscrews during the traverse of-the carriage in one direction, means forshifting said stud into engagement with the other of said screws fortraversing the carriage in the opposite direction and means to initiatereverse movement of said carriage prior to the operative engagement ofsaid stud with said other screw. A

7. A traverse mechanism having a traverse guide and a reciprocatingcarriage therefor in combination with screws mounted for rotation onaxes erallel with the path of said carriage, a driving stud mount:-

- neve ed on the carriage for movement into ongagement with. the threadof one or another of said screws, means cerried by one of said screwsfor contacting with and shifting said driving stud into engagement withanother of said screws and means associated with said shifting meanslior initiating movement of said carriage the opposite direction.

8. in a device of the close described a rotatable shaft having ahelical. cam. groove therein, a follower engageable with said cam grooveto be traversed thereby, and a cam element adjscent theend of saidgroove and of a pitch opposite thereto, said element being constructedand arranged to initiate movement of said follower in a reversedirection when brought into engagement therewith.

9. in s device of the class described a pair of substantially parallelrotatable shafts having helical cam grooves extending there along, and arelatively short cam member adjacent each end of each of said helicalgrooves, sa dc m members being inclined in directions substantiallyopposite to the inclination of the grooves intheir respective shafts.

10. A traverse mechanism having a reciprocable carriage in combinationwith screws mounted for rotation on axes parallel with the path of saidcarriage, a driving stud mounted on the carriage and selectively movableinto engagement with the threads of the respective screws, and means forso moving such stud at predetermined times, said means comprising camshaving radially active elements, means associated with each of saidscrews for initiating movement of the carriage in the direction impartedthereto by the other screw and e device for holding the stud inengagement with said other screw during the major portion of the motionof the carriage induced thereby.

11. In a device of the class described, a shaft having s helical groovetherein, secondary groove relatively short as compared wlth said firstgroove and of opposite pitch thereto, said secondary groove intersectingsaid helical groove and being of a depth substantially less than that ofthe helical groove at the point of intersection, a follower engag'eablewith said grooves, and means for lifting said follower from the bottomof said helical groove to permit its engagement with said secondarygroove.

12. device of the class described comprising a cylinder having alongitudinal cam groove of substantially uniform depth in its peripheralsurface, a secondary groove having a pitch opposite to that of saidfirst groove said secondary groove intersecting said first groove, thebottom of said secondary groove being substantially above that of thefirst groove, at the point of intersection and merging gradually intothe surface of said cylinder, and a cam follower engageable in saidrooves.

13. In com%ination a pair of substantially parallel cylinders havinghelical cam grooves therein, a cam follower selectively engageable witheither of said grooves, means associated with one of said grooves forimpelling said follower in a direction to engage said other groove, anda secondary groove, associated with said last named groove for receivingsaid follower prior to its operative engagement with said last namedgroove.

14. In combination, a pair of substantially parallel rotatable cylindershaving helical cam grooves therein, a reciprocablecarriage, a camfollower'comprisi'ng a stud selectively movable into engagement witheither *of -said grooves and operatively connected to said carriagewhereby alternately to move said carriage in opposite directions, a camdevice adjacent the terminal end of each of said grooves for impellingsaid stud in a direction to engage the grooves in the other cylinder,and a secondary groove of-relatively short extent intersecting .each ofsaid cam grooves adjacent the beginning end thereof and of a pitchopposite thereto, said secondary grooves being constructed and ar rangedto receive said stud prior to the operative engagement thereof with thecorresponding helical groove.

15. A traverse guide mechanism comprising a reciprocable traverse guide,a driving member movable therewith, and a pair of oppositely rotating clinders provided respectively with cam e ements which engage with thedriving member, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to permitsimultaneous engagement of the driving member with cam elements of bothof said cylinders as the traverse guide nears the end of its stroke.

Signed by me at Providence, Rhode Island, this thirtieth day ofDecember, 1919.

GEORGE J. MGGAN N.

